Closed Punk / Rock / Powerpop

There were many other names, noise violations citations, signs, stories and proofs of Closed but these were committed to writing that you might believe.

The band split due to irreconcilable differences in mid 2002. After another, this time, short-lived two-piece incarnation of Keith & Dale before Chris returned briefly. Will had left the state several months earlier during the recording of the bands last set of material and the band left an extensive back log of material never recorded properly. This happening after they had arguably reached their creative zenith in the summer of 2001 during the relocation to Oklahoma City after the dissolution of the punk community in Lawton and the addition of a new drummer after Dale had been booted for sucking as person. What came to be the bands final public appearance was a performance with Russell in Carnegie early 2001 at a benefit for a girl who had been murdered by an officer of the law with a violent record.

Shortly before any of this they were denied alcohol even though most of them were finally old enough to be in the Asylum but still not old enough too legally drink at the bar that had provided them with the format for many live performances and free drinks. They vowed to never play the place again and never have, ending their final set there on a disjointed version of “Time” by Tom Waits. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times the movement in Lawton was in full bloom, the band played supports slots for national touring bands which were now hosted by the only punk club in town, Urban Legends, which had put an end to shows being booked at the Knights of Columbus and American Legion halls. A copy of the bands first record made it into the hands of the KATT after a two-night stint at Oklahoma City’s now defunct Samurai Sake House and was receiving airplay.

They had also had been offered on air interview from Z94 Lawton's classic rock station who had been spinning one of the few copies from the small print run of the disc that were quickly gone, but the band blew it off. Wes Sharon had recorded, produced and mastered the self-released album in his Oklahoma City studio the Devil's Work Shop/A.K.S. Recordings during October of 1999. Earlier that year Chris had returned to the state and the band for live shows. Even though he was inept as a musician the band kept him around anyway which dramatically set back the bands progression of new material and returned the band to for what was the most part it’s original set which is the discs content.

Previous to this the band had been sharing the bill with many of the local and national touring acts in the semi-regular shows in Lawton, most notably the longest surviving band from the late 90's Oklahoma punk scene, the Roustabouts. Will appeared with the band at these performances on the bass after he returned from boot camp which had resulted from an incident in which he and Chris had stolen Will’s parent’s R.V. which also resulted in Chris’ deportation from the state. Will had been introduced as a possible candidate previously when he was located after Chris' initial relocation to Chickasha.

During this absence of half the band new material came quickly to the stripped down line-up of Keith and Dale who continued performing weekends underage at the Asylum which was then known as the Diamond Back a sleazy bar/strip club-type compound on the out skirts of the Ft. Sill military base. A few shows were also preformed there as a three-piece and as a four-piece with Jared on bass which was the line-up that appeared with Nofx and Snuff at the Will Rogers Theater on January 19th 1998. Before Jared was intrigued enough by this opportunity to learn the bass lines the band had been rehearsing and making juvenile appearances usually with Chris on a Scott Lucas inspired and tested guitar/bass rig built from two smashed guitars though it failed Scott they used it anyway dubbing it the Scott series. Briefly before this the bands original stage-fright stricken bassist, Adam, departed the group after what some allege a staged bass robbery. The bass was returned to a pawnshop in much worse condition. The band first began playing March 27th of 1997 and preformed their first show the 17th of the following month.